WASHINGTON -- The secretary of defense has the authority needed to order all members of the military – including the National Guard – to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said during a news conference today.The mandate to get the vaccines is a readiness issue,...

MANILA, U.S. Embassy in the Philippines -- The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines’ Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) recently donated drug detection and analysis equipment valued at more than Php3.5 million ($70,000) to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) K9 Force in...

WASHINGTON -- The way to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula lies in exploring diplomacy with North Korea in a calibrated approach, a Defense Department official said today.Richard C. Johnson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for countering weapons of mass destruction and...

DHAKA, U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh -- The U.S. Embassy’s Acting Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) William Dowers and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Kathryn Stevens handed over brand new freezer trucks to Minister of Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque, MP as part...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo met with Japanese government officials during a visit to Tokyo Nov. 9 to reaffirm the strong and long-standing U.S.-Japan Alliance.Paparo met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General Ichikawa Keiichi and Japan Maritime...

SOUTH CHINA SEA -- U.S. military and Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) are partnering in the 27th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) maritime exercise, virtually and in the South China Sea, Nov. 15.Participants in the five-day engagement include U.S. Navy assets...

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Two Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) ships visited the Port of Alaska as part of a training exercise Nov. 4-6.The ROKN Cruise Training Task Group’s two vessels, a destroyer and a combat support ship, visited Alaska during a 67-day voyage, which marked the...

NAVAL BASE GUAM -- Ships assigned to Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group arrived at Naval Base Guam for a scheduled port visit on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) and USS Stockdale (DDG 106) will resupply, conduct maintenance, and provide the crew time for rest...

ZAMBOANGA CITY, U.S. Embassy in the Philippines -- Between October 2 and November 10, the U.S. military donated intensive care unit (ICU) beds and COVID-19 vaccine cold storage units, valued at over Php6.9 million ($138,600), across the southern Philippines.The donations were made during seven small...

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Airmen from the 36th Civil Engineering Squadron and 544th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer recently conducted Rapid Airfield Damage Assessment System (RADAS) on Northwest Field, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.RADAS is one of the Air...